Cloudy / White remains after applying CA

[Amihai]

Hi,
After I applied several coats of CA finish (and before final sanding and polishing), I noticed cloudy spots on one of my Redheart barrels (the second came out good).

I think that I applied too much CA in one coat, but I wanted to ask the pros just in case I missed something.

(I did sand and polished the blank afterwards, which didn't remove the spots). Thanks.

 

[hooked]

It appears to be moisture to me. I have had it happen where I have sanded and then wiped down the blank with a wet towel to remove fine dust. If the blank does not have a chance to dry before the CA application completely, I would see similar white spots.

If you are wiping your blanks down between sanding and CA application, it may be better to use acetone or denatured alcohol for quicker evaporation and drying rather than water. Water easily gets trapped in the wood and shows itself when applying CA.

If not from wet sanding or water getting on the blank, I would think it is just moisture still in the wood. Whenever moisture meets CA, it clouds like that.

Another option could be your accelerator. Sometimes accelerators can also cause clouding if not appropriately applied or too quickly.

 

[leehljp]

Moisture. There are several ways moisture can enter the blank/CA.
1, if the wood is still "green" (An English term for just recently cut from a tree and not yet dried)
2. if there is high ambient humidity (70% or more) in your area at the time of applying the CA
3. Temperature is around 20°C (68°F) or lower, there is a higher chance of whiteness (CA reaction causes heat, heat draws in moisture from cool/cold blank.
4. Accelerator draws moisture
5. wet sanding and DNA DeNatured Alcohol
6 unsealed ends allow moisture to be drawn into the blank, but in your case the white is too far in the middle for that - generally.

This is also a "regional" problem too. IF one is close to the coast of a sea or large lake; conversely there have been many responses from people over the course of the last 15 years who reply that they never have the problem . . . but when looking at where they live - very arid locations and desert like areas - of course not, because they do not have humidity above 50% at any time. Also, if in a humidity controlled environment (air conditioned/dehumdified) then the same thing can apply as in a desert.

 

[crokett]

I agree that it is moisture. I have also had that happen when sweat (it was a hot day) dripped onto a blank. you need to sand the finish off and start over. I don't wet sand wood. I use acetone to wipe off any sanding dust, since it evaporates very quickly. I also don't use accelerators. I batch finishing jobs (use a mandrel and apply CA to multiple blanks) and I find other things that I can cycle in while I'm waiting for CA to cure.

 

[Amihai]

Thanks all, I use only alcohol when wiping the blanks, and the spots appeared after I applied accelerator. So I probably applied too much of it.

 

[jrista]

Thanks all, I use only alcohol when wiping the blanks, and the spots appeared after I applied accelerator. So I probably applied too much of it.

Yeah, the DNA can contain some water as well, so keep that in mind. From other threads on this subject here, I started using acetone instead of DNA, if I'm going to finish in CA. I also give it plenty of time to dry before I apply the CA, and then make sure that the first coats of CA have plenty of opportunity to fully penetrate the wood.